Faucets are commonplace in bathroom and kitchen environments. They allow temperature and volume controlled dispensing of potable water in a convenient manner. Oftentimes faucets are installed in areas with limited natural lighting. Either through lack of windows, location in the dwelling, or limited light fixtures, it can often be difficult for a user to clearly see below the faucet. Further, kitchen environments, specifically sinks with faucets, often host a plurality of undesirable germs and bacteria originating from raw foods, mold, and other general-purpose use of the sink.
Certain tasks performed in proximity of faucets require greater attention to detail which benefits from increased lighting. For example, cleaning spot stains from clothing, inspecting food following washing, or even reading fine print for recipes are all situations where increased lighting is desired. There have been efforts to address this need, including use of lamps or added light fixtures in the room. Adding light fixtures to the room presents additional problems as it increases the clutter in the environment and adds considerable expense. Additional wiring or installation efforts are also required. There have also been recent attempts at adding lighting directly to the water stream. This provides an added aesthetic appeal, but does little to illuminate the surrounding area in a useful manner.
While certain tasks performed in the sink need more light, it is also known that the sink can accumulate a plethora of pathogens. Efforts to eliminate these pathogens have historically included spot cleaning with soap or using bleach or other similar chemical solutions. However, not only can these methods be ineffective, but use of such chemicals can be dangerous and their effectiveness is reliant on the user. It is known that ultraviolet light (UV) can mitigate the spread of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. However, cleaning a surface such as a sink using a handheld UV light can be cumbersome and daunting to the user.
Therefore, improvements in sink lighting and disinfecting is need.